Udayana University Students Develop Reusable Heat Pack Product

A number of Udayana University (Unud) students have collaborated to develop AZOCALM, a reusable heat pack innovation designed as a practical heat therapy alternative that can be used repeatedly and easily applied in daily life. AZOCALM was developed by students from various academic backgrounds, including the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Faculty of Medicine (FK), Faculty of Engineering (FT), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), and Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at Unud.

Nova Fitri, a FISIP Unud student on the team, said the use of heat therapy still often relies on conventional methods requiring access to hot water, electricity or specific devices. This situation prompted the team to develop a product that is more practical and can be used repeatedly. AZOCALM utilises sodium acetate crystallisation as a heat source. When activated, the material inside the product undergoes a crystallisation process that generates heat, allowing it to be used as a warm compress.

After use, the product can be returned to its initial state and used again, so it is not single-use. This is one of AZOCALM’s advantages, as it combines portability, repeated use, ease of activation and usage efficiency in a single product. The involvement of students from various faculties has enabled AZOCALM to be developed through a multidisciplinary approach. Medical students contributed by considering the needs and use of the product in the health sector, while engineering and science fields supported the development of the design and material characteristics. Meanwhile, social, communication, business development and product sustainability perspectives were strengthened through the involvement of FISIP and FEB students.

“We want AZOCALM not to stop merely as an idea or prototype, but to be developed into an innovation that is truly easy to use and beneficial for the community. That is why we try to combine various fields of knowledge in its development process,” said Nova Fitri. The development of AZOCALM represents the implementation of Unud students’ multidisciplinary collaborative spirit in producing innovations that are not only academically oriented but also have the potential to be further developed into applicable products.

The team carried out various stages in developing AZOCALM, from concept formulation, product design development, material selection, packaging refinement, development planning, to product implementation for the community. The AZOCALM team aims to develop a product that is increasingly comfortable to use, has a more ergonomic design, and meets safety and sustainability aspects. The team is also planning development in terms of legality, intellectual property protection, branding and potential product downstreaming.

This collaboration is expected to serve as an example that student innovation can develop more comprehensively when various disciplines are brought together to solve a problem. The team hopes that innovations born within Unud can continue to be developed to provide broader benefits for the community while encouraging the growth of an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem among students.